PLYMOUTH, Mich. — New England Hockey Journal closes out our coverage of the 2022 USA Hockey Nationals with our top-10 2006-born players who competed in the 15 Only division.
The rankings are broken down into the top 10 players we witnessed at the USA Hockey Arena on April 1 and is not based on who overall performers in the tournament. The Chicago Mission captured the championship, beating Shattuck-St. Mary’s 4-1. Mount Saint Charles, which was the top-ranked team in the nation for much of the season, fell to Shattuck in the quarterfinal round. This top 10 was formulated after watching Mount’s 6-3 victory over Team Alaska in the final game of the round-robin schedule. We also evaluated the Minuteman Flames and North Jersey Avalanche game, a 7-2 Avalanche victory.
The top 10
1. James Hagens
Mount St. Charles, C, 11/3/06, left shot, 5-9/140
The Hauppauge, N.Y., native is the best '06 forward in the country, and he backed it up by scoring his team's first goal after Alaska struck first, then followed up with a pair of assists. That he is able to impact the game with his pure skill and intelligence is more remarkable when you consider that he’s one of the youngest in the birth year, and isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2025. He was one of several locks for the U.S. National Team Development Program before the 2021-22 season began, and he built an even more convincing case for it.
2. John Whipple
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, D, 1/20/06, left shot, 6-0/174
From Morristown, N.J., he joins Hagens on Team USA next season after a tremendous year playing in Minnesota for the Sabres. He’s an elite skater with four-way compass mobility: he has an explosive first few steps to burst to small areas, can separate in open ice, and is also blessed with agile footwork to move laterally with ease. He’s a strong two-way defender who can provide consistent offense with his passing and shot, and also keeps opponents away from his net with his range, mobility and active stick. Although his draft season is still two years away, Whipple has the look and feel of a top NHL prospect.
3. Theo Kiss
Mount St. Charles, RW, 7/13/06, left shot, 5-9/155
From Kosice, Slovakia, he sometimes gets lost in the constellation of stars that was Mount’s top ’06 team, but he is a top player. A gifted playmaking winger who sees the ice and thinks the game like a chess master, Kiss is always where the puck is going to be and can make accurate passes through heavy traffic. He has a sneaky release and found the back of the net twice in this one. He is worthy of a USHL tender, and even if he doesn’t sign before next month’s futures draft, will be an early pick.
4. Nicholas Kempf
Chicago Mission, G, 3/1/06, catches left, 6-1/155
Gave up a goal in the first minute of the game against a top opponent, yet responded with several tremendous saves to keep the deficit at one. His team took control of the game, and sent a big message in the process. He has good size, moves well laterally, and does a good job of fighting through screens to maintain visual contact with the puck. He can make the athletic, desperation save, but impresses with his ability to read the play and anticipate where the biggest scoring threat is coming from before it actually materializes. Not surprisingly, he was named to the NTDP, along with Mount St. Charles goalie Jack Parsons.
5. Grant Young
Windy City Storm, C, 3/22/06, right shot, 5-8/152
Team captain did it all, with a natural hat trick to make it 3-0 less than 6 minutes into the second period, and stood out with his nonstop motor and all-around game. The Colorado product plays hard. He was highly disruptive on the forecheck while backchecking like a demon whenever Sioux Falls got the puck into his own zone. He plays the right way, and it isn’t hard to understand why he wears the ‘C’ as he leads by example and drives a lot of plays for his team.
6. Brodie Ziemer
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, RW, 2/22/06, right shot, 5-10/174
Minnesotan scored a couple of goals against the Mission and played with good pace and effort. He has the speed to back up defenders and goes hard to the net. His first goal was a result of driving straight to the paint and taking away Kempf’s time and space before locating the puck and firing it home. Another prospect to make the cut for Team USA, he looked the part in this one.
7. J.J. Monteiro (Hudson, Mass.)
Mount St. Charles, LW, 1/12/06, left shot, 5-11/175
Bay State native skated hard, competed and was rewarded for his effort with a pair of goals. When he moves his feet and plays in straight lines, he’s highly effective and makes a lot happen with and without the puck. He played a very good game here, providing offense and strong details and puck support.
8. Benjamin Wilmott
NJ Avalanche, LW, 8/30/06, left shot, 5-8/135
Smallish but skilled forward netted a pair of goals against the Minuteman Flames. He used a combination of speed/pace to enter the zone cleanly and get to the net. The Seattle product left home to play for a top northeast program and made a positive impression here with his quick and crafty playing style.
9. Owen Philllips
Penguins Elite, D, 1/12/06, right shot, 5-11/162
Nova Scotian has gotten significantly better later in the year than he looked in September when he was still making the adjustment after going to Pittsburgh. He’s a fluid skater who sees the play unfolding and makes good decisions to break up rushes or advance pucks north in rapid transition. As a Canadian Maritimer, he may yet opt for major junior and the QMJHL, but he should attract a lot of interest from top NCAA programs if he commits to taking the longer, more deliberate process.
10. Drew Carr (Medway, Mass.)
Minuteman Flames, RW, 3/29/06, right shot, 5-11/145
He's rising for his strong two-way play and hard skill after a solid freshman prep season at St. Mark’s. While not as talented as other forwards on his Flames team, Carr nonetheless stood out in a tough loss for his effort and habits. Although he was part of a 0-3 team that got outscored by a wide margin, he looked like he belonged. He may or may not get drafted in the USHL this time around, but he looks like he’s trending up and could develop into a solid phase 2/entry draft choice down the road if he continues developing an all-around game.
Honorable Mention
Will Felicio, D; Mount St. Charles, 5/19/06; 5-9/150 (Holden, Mass.)
Jake Merens, RW; Chicago Mission, 11/10/06; 5-7/145
Jack Edwards, C; Penguins Elite, 6/21/06; 5-11/155
Geno Carcone, LW; BK Selects, 11/14/06; 5-9/173
Julian Brown, D; NJ Avalanche, 4/10/06; 6-2/180
Gino Texter, G; Cleveland Barons, 11/2/06; 6-0/171
Austin Baker, LW; Little Caesar’s, 2/1/06; 6-1/170
Cole Longacre, D; Windy City, 5/1/06; 6-1/210
Dennis Davidson, C; Minuteman Flames, 5/15/06; 5-8/150 (Newton, Mass.)
Ryan Kroll, D; Chicago Mission, 4/4/06; 6-0/170
Charles Pardue, C; Chicago Mission, 1/5/06; 5-11/160
